hey guys, ive never really learned what all this mumbo jumbo means, what does 3.5ft@6sec, and then under it it says 1ft@8sec, what does this mean?
It means you shouldn't be so f'in lazy and watch the tutorials that swellinfo has graciously put on their site to help you understand the useful info they're supplying you with, FOR FREE. Dummy. But real quick, the red shades me "GO GO GO" stay away from the green stuff.
Long story short: Although in the end, a wave breaks on shore. but one any given day on any coast, there are multiple "sources" of windswell etc. So, they list all of the Swells that are showing in the water in order of the most dominant, to the least dominant... So, your example means that the dominant swell that is hitting your beach is moving in 6 second intervals, at a size of 3.5ft. Then, the 1ft at 8 seconds is probably more local windswell that is from a different source, (i.e. one is coming from the SE, one is coming in dead east.)... So, the two figures that you used are basically not even waves... 3.5ft at 6 seconds is maybe a ridable knee high waves.... Most sites dont even record "surf" as anything under 6 second intervals... You need 7-8 for decent windswell with some dumping power, and then as you get into the 10s and 15s and 20s, then you are talking about ground swell, which arrives in clean glassy sets, usually MUCH larger than local windswell. Very focuses. Very organized, usually with big lulls in between sets of 3-4 waves.... The shorter intervals mean choppy, windswell, unless the wnid turns off shore and you catch it right away... Anyway... good luck with that.
Zach, you are not really speaking in "East Coast Wave Forecasting Language." 15sec-20sec doesn't usually register on the East Coast. 11 to 12 sec is considered long period swell, or the most common swell of greatest periodicity - in other words it would show up on a statistical "normal curve" for the East Coast. 15 sec would be that little spec on the tail of the curve. 7 and 8 sec is very commonly surfed on the EC. Swells at 12 sec and above also have distinct implications for most breaks south of NY, not usually favorable. Different situation for West Coast USA, Central America, HI, Indonesia, etc.
OH MY GOD, there is actually a person in this tiny little world of ours that doesnt know everything! wow! easy does it dude, its not the end of the world that he asked an honest question. its people like you who make a learning surfer feel like ****. congratulations.
Dude, don't be a douche. He asked an honest question; nothing wrong with that. Granted, maybe he should have watched the tutorials first but you don't know if he did do that and was just looking for some clarification. Relax and if you don't want to help, then don't even respond.
mama said Mama said, "If you can't say anything nice to or about someone then keep your petty yap shut." Words to live by. And, sadly, missing in our culture big time.
woah, woah, woah!! hold it guys, im not a kook, or a "learning surfer"!!! i just wanted to know more about forecasting!?!?! i usually just payed attention to the winds/height/direction, never really felt, or cared to ask!
long story short, the longer the wave period, the more energy and potential wave face height. here is a possible example for some imaginary break: 3ft @ 6 secs. 1-3 ft wave faces, and weak. 3ft @ 10 secs. 2-3'+ wave face heights with longer lines and more power 3ft @ 15 secs 3-5 ft wave faces, with much more power. I need to update the tutorials... to much to do!
Hey dumb dumbs, there's a freakin tutorial right there on the site. It's right there. Black and white. I watched it. I learned from it. I wanted to know what I was looking at. It's laziness. I can't stand laziness. Pure laziness. If you can't watch a freakin tutorial, how committed are you actually to it? Pet peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeve.
i have been surfing a little bit longer than i have been using the internet. actually i will go as far as to say i have even been using the internet long before i started looking at surfing websites, or started to learn things like the original poster was asking. way back then i didn't know anything about what 4.6 feet at 8 seconds meant at all. i just knew what was surfable, and what wasn't from a first hand look at the ocean or going on someone elses word. so there's no need to be a ****. all of us were learning at some point.
There's plenty of reason to be an ass when someone asks a question that can easily be answered by a TUTURIOAL FURNISHED BY THE WEBSITE. Yes, it takes a good 1/2 hour to watch it all, but well worth it. LAZINESS!
